Stephen Spignesi Dialogues

Dialogues

Stephen Spignesi

Bantam, Jul 2006, $12.00

ISBN: 0553587587

In the Waterbridge Animal Shelter, Friday is Euthanasia Day. However, on this Friday someone "gases" six people; no obvious motive seems to exist though the police have arrested the prime suspect, who worked with the victims at shelter as a certified animal euthanasia technician, Victoria "Tory" Troy. When one meets her she comes across as gentle and caring, and loves her patients; so why would she kill six peers. Currently she is confined to a Connecticut psychiatric hospital under close guard for fear she might be suicidal.

Psychologist Dr. Baraku Bexley is assigned to determine whether Tory is mentally competent to understand right from wrong and subsequently stand trial. He interviews her and realizes she has some odd viewpoints on life and especially is self righteous when it comes to the animals at the shelter. Her friends and family depict a nurturing intelligent person who loves animals and could not hurt a fly though her lawyer and her mother inform Dr. Bexley they cannot comprehend why she killed anyone. Still Dr. Bexley keeps digging hoping to separate the kind soul from the evil that cold bloodedly killed six people.

Readers know from the opening line that this is not going to be a normal Euthanasia day at the shelter and are hooked right from the onset to learn why Tory kills six of her compatriots. She is a fascinating protagonist who chills the reader and Dr. Bexley with her simple moral explanations to his inquiry. This strong suspense filled character study leaves the audience looking deeply at morality issues as Stephan Spignesi provides powerful DIALOGUES (no sound bite here) on values.

Harriet Klausner